Imitation gem.



15. J. LIGHTBUDY.

IMITATION GEM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 5, 1911.

Patented 0c't.10,1911.

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FRANK J. LIGHTBODY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CAMBRIDGE NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, .A CORPORATION OF MASSA CHUSETTS.

IMITATION GEM.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911. Serial No. 625,360.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, FRANK J. LIGHTBODY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Imitation Gems, of which the following is a specification.

The invention has for its object to provide at a relatively small expense a close imitation of a gem or ornament made from an expensive natural material such as coral, turquoise, etc., the gem imitation or substitute embodying my invention being adapted to be engaged by a setting or holder and constituting a part of an article of jewelry or other ornamental article.

The invention is embodied in the article of manufacture hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side view of an imitation gem embodying my invention, the same being shown as somewhat larger than the ordinary or average size; Fig. 2 represents an enlarged section on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a gem engaged with a setting; Fig. 4 represents a plan View of a portion of a sheet of the material of which my improved gem is composed, the sheet being embossed to form the outer and inner surfaces of the gem; Fig. 5 represents a section on line 55 of Fig.

Similar reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention I take a sheet 12 of celluloid suitably colored and subject the same to the action of heated dies or molds adapted to form a boss 13 on the sheet, one side of the boss having a convex and the other a concave face. The dies may be formed to give the boss either an approximately spherical or an elliptical form. The die which forms the convex face of the boss is highly polished and imparts a smooth, lustrous outer surface to the boss. After the form imparted by the dies has become permanent, the embossed sheet is removed from the dies and the portion of the sheet surrounding the boss is cut away to form a narrow marginal edge face 14L which is perpendicular to the plane of the sheet, and forms an obtuse angle with the margin of the convex face. The margin or face 14: intersects a portion of the original inner side of the sheet, said portion forming a margin or bottom face 15 substantially at a right angle with the edge face lt. The boss is thus provided with a continuous mar-- ginal portion formed to engage a setting or holder which comprises a base or body portion 16 on which the bottom face 15 is seated, and a flange or confining portion 17 which embraces the marginal face 14 and is crimped or turned inwardly above said face to engage the marginal portion of the convex outer face of the boss, as shown by Fig. 3. The operation of cutting away the sheet material surrounding the boss may be performed by male and female 'cutting dies, the construction and operation of which is well known by those skilled in the art.

It is well known that celluloid is adapted to be colored to represent various natural materials and gems such as coral, turquoise, and other relatively rare and expensive natural substances. A boss 13 formed as above described produces at a relatively small expense an acceptable and very desirable substitute for the abovementioned and other materials used for the ornamentation of articles of jewelry and other ornamental articles.

While I have specified sheet celluloid as the material used, it is obvious that other varieties of pyroxylin material such as pyralin, and fibuloid may be employed.

I claim:

1. An imitation gem formed of a molded sheet of translucent material colored to imitate a gem and provided with aconvex outer face and a concave inner face, the outer face terminating in a marginal edge portion arranged at an angle to the convex portion and formed to receive a setting.

2. An imitation gem formed of a molded sheet of translucent material colored to imitate a gem and provided with a convex outer face and a concave inner face, the

outer face terminating in a marginal edge portion arranged at an angle to the convex portion and formed to receive a setting, said sheet being also provided with a marginal bottom face formed at an angle with said marginal edge portion and adapted to rest upon the base portion of a setting.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK J. LIGHTBODY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

